


Shattered Wings

by almwolfhunter07



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Clans, Evil, F/M, Happy Ending, Kinda, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Original Characters - Freeform, Some angst, kings - Freeform, pretty much everyone is in it, wingkin- "harpie like creatures I made"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-02-13 16:17:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12987771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almwolfhunter07/pseuds/almwolfhunter07
Summary: Victor was an Arctic Wingkin, a cold, standoffish creature that many creatures in the forest would prefer to avoid. As heir to his father's leadership to his clan, he is met with many challenges, one of which is finding a mate, preferably an omega. However, after meeting an omega that he found less than enjoyable, he quickly dismissed the mere thought of having to take one as his mate.During an unsuccessful hunting trip with his team, Victor wonders upon an omega of great interest. Bloodied and torn down, he takes the omega back to his clan to find out what he had been thinking, flying through the harsh winter. It was then he learned that the dark fairy tales his mother used to tell him as a kid were not fairy tales at all, but were very real.





	1. Chapter 1

Victor’s blood seemed to run cold as he traveled back with the hunting party he had been sent with. The winter’s wind seemed to freeze each individual bone in his body. He stretched his wings, sure they would freeze if he kept them so stiff. To his dismay, he and his friends were not able to track down anything, likely that any moose or deer had headed away from the forest to find a warmer home for the time being. Victor had begged his father for what seemed like forever, begging him to move the clan to a more warmer area, as his friend Chris does with this clan. HIs father, stuck in his old ways, of course reminded him once again that they were arctic wingkin, creatures meant to bear the snow and freeze to death, apparently. It was incredibly obnoxious, and Victor had sworn that the moment his father passed and he took over as chief, he would lead his clan to a much more inhabitant area. 

Above him, the other in the group were bickering, obviously annoyed at not being able to catch anything, forcing them to go hungry once more. Usually when it came to it, the clan would hunt other wingkin, those under them, but all the others had flown south in order to face a much more tolerable winter. This, of course, left only scraps left by wolves to be eaten. It annoyed Victor, the fact that their “elite” species was forced to act like scavengers.

Huffing, he pushed onward, wanting to get home and settle in this nice warm bed. The sun was just beginning to set, throwing up beautiful orange and red gleams that set the icicles on fire. It seemed to radiate through the woods and almost made Victor feel warmer. However, he knew that he had no time to waste. Getting back home would be near impossible in the night, the subzero temperatures would surely kill any of the, even if they were designed to inhabit these types of conditions. He called out to the others:

“We need to hurry fellas, we can’t be out here at night. “ He growled, sweeping his stiff wings in a single motion. 

The others nodded and picked up the pace. Being an alpha wingkin had its perks. The others followed his every order, making it very easy to get things done. Of course this had consequences, if what had happened in the past would have anything to say about it. Sometimes, an alpha would use their influential powers over others, forcing them to do their bidding. Victor shuddered at the thought of forcing their young to fight, or teaching them how to fly before it was time, watching them plummet to the ground. He remember the tales his father used to tell him about, about the terrible, power-hungry leader that had once ruled over this frozen wasteland. He had been told that the wingkin had once been a wonderful, compassionate leader, but had witnessed something unimaginable, that had sent him into his power-driven mindset. 

Victor could not imagine what he had seen that would force him to throw their young over the edge before they had even started branching. It was a sickening thought, and Victor could almost hear the sickening thud as they fell to the ground. He had witnessed a few accidents in which the same thing occurred. If a chick was not careful, they would so easily fall off the edge of their nest and fall to the ground, all without their parent’s knowledge. It was a terrible tragedy whenever it occurred, Victor couldn’t imagine someone doing it on purpose, it was practically murder. 

A shout sounded up ahead, breaking him from these dark thoughts, he looked ahead and saw him men standing a few wing-lengths from where he stood. 

One of them stepped forward, his great golden wings standing proud. “Come on then, Victor. Telling us to hurry when you are falling behind.”

Blushing, and not from the cold, Victor ran forward to stand, once again, besides his men. “ Sorry about that, I was getting lost in my own thoughts.”

“Don’t mention it Victor.” The wingkin with the golden wings, Ivan, smiled. “We’re quite used to you and your scatterbrain. We’ve been hunting with you for what, five years now?”

Victor whacked him with his wing as Ivan laughed and flapped away. Ivan and him had been friends since they were kids. Being an alpha himself, Victor could never get Ivan to listen to him, but he found it somewhat nice, to be able to joke around with a friend without having to worry them about making sure to treat “royalty” with respect. It honestly annoyed him, having to constantly remind some of his friends that they didn’t need to be so formal around him, but they never seemed to listen. The other wingkin around them glanced at each other, doing their best to not look uncomfortable as the alphas joked around with each other. Oh how Victor wished they would join in and not stand like trees. 

He looked back and smiled. “Come on, let’s get back home.”

Everyone nodded and they began their trek once again. He heard one of the younger wingkin complain about not being able to fly back home. Victor understood his frustration, but it was just a fact of life that they had to deal with. When it was this cold, no wingkin would stand a chance in the frozen air above them. The trees made a sort of barrier that they were able to hide under. Above the canopy, great winds and sheets of ice raged, as though the winter demons his mother’s stories held had come alive just to cause misfortune for wingkin. He ruffled his feathers at the thought of flying in that hell. While walking down here was a pain, flying home was not worth dying over. 

And so they walked, dragging their feet through the snow drifts. Without being able to fly, they had not gone far from home, but it was still a trek that none of them wanted to partake in, especially after a day of unsuccessful hunting. He sighed and willed himself to continue forward. Waving his wing, him and his party continued onward. 

~~~

The sun was nearly set by the time Victor caught scent of the nest. His men let out a cheer as the quickened their pace, eager to get home. Victor smiled and followed. On their way back, they had been able to ambush a rabbit burrow, and got a hefty haul. Victor was grateful that they were able to bring back anything at all in this winter, even if their ten rabbits would only be able to feed ten out of the hundred wingkin that lived in his clan. It would have to do though, he could only hope that the other hunting parties had been more successful. 

As they approached the camp, a weird smell washed over Victor. He lifted his wings, stopping his party’s advancements. “Do you smell that?” He asked.

The others soon picked up on the strange scent. A young wingkin with pale yellow wings, named Theo, wrinkled his nose. “What is that?”

Victor shook his head, indicating that he did not know. “Stay here, I’m going to check it out.”

The others nodded and Victor, laying down the rabbit, followed the scent. It seemed to lie west of where the nest was situated, but whatever this was being so close to where the nest lie, worried Victor. He was not sure what it may be, and prayed it was not something that would call threat to them. With the little food they had, they didn’t need any competition. 

He slunk his way through the snow, keeping his wings and blades free. They were his greatest weapons. He continued onward and stopped every-so often to make sure that he was on the right track. The stench grew stronger as he padded threw the woods. He happened upon a giant ditch in the snow. 

The ditch looked as though it had been created by something falling. Victor’s blood ran cold as he saw the feathers and blood marks that stained the snow. Gulping he followed the trail of feathers, that lead him to a clearing. His breath caught as he took in the sight of what had created the trail. A smaller wingkin was laying in the snow, so still Victor was sure he was dead. His wings were bent and misshapen so much that it made Victor cringe and flap his own wings unsteadily. The frost on the other’s wings made it clear that he had been flying, and judging from the ditch and the trail, riddled with blood and feathers, he quickly caught onto what had happened. 

This reclus wingkin had been flying and his wings froze, plunging him down to the ground. Images of the dreadful king flashed through Victor’s mind, causing him to shutter. Gulping, Victor approached the figure to get a better look. Upon getting closer, he found the wingkin to be a younger male. At first glance, Victor assumed he was an arctic wingkin like himself, but once he got closer, Victor saw that that was not the case. He gently lowered on the ground. No, this wingkin was not one he had seen before. His wings, even while so bent were obviously much smaller than Victor’s. As well as his body shape, everything was so different from one of his own..

He reached out a hand and gently laid it on the pools of inky, black feathers. A small moan made Victor jump as he quickly withdrew his hand. Blinking, he leaned closer. The smell hit him at once and he scrambled to his feet, backing away as far as he could. This wingkin, whatever it was, was an omega. They were said to be very rare: Victor had only ever met one. A prince and his father had come to see him and his family when he was young. Victor could distinctly remember the rancid smell that drifted off the prince, and it immediately made Victor feel sick. He had told his mother and father who had laughed and told him that the prince had been an omega. A very rare type of wingkin, one that they hoped Victor would mate with one day.

It was not in Victor’s best interest, as his parent’s kept telling him. He could hardly think anything that smelled like that was something he should be interested in. They did not meet the prince and his father again, and Victor was happy for it. But now, glancing down at the omega that lay in the snow, Victor felt something he did not think he would ever feel for this creature, pity. He sighed and shrugged off his coat, immediately puffing up his feather, trying to escape the harsh winds. He trudged over to the fallen wingkin and gently wrapped his coat around the other, attempting to make him as warm as he could. Then, as gently as possible, he lifted the other up and brought him close. The omega was so pale and small, he weighed less to nothing. Victor was worried he was too late, until he saw the small puff of air coming from his mouth. He still had a little time left. Pulling the boy close, he trudged back towards where he left his friends.

When he finally found them, bundled together against the cold, they stared at him wide-eyed. “Come on then,” he said, interrupting the questions he was sure stood on the others lips. “Let’s get home.”

They continued onward, their once gleefulness at being so close to the nest replaced with silent, unreadable feeling. Victor shifted the boy a few times, a small moan escaping the other as they continued onward. Arctic wingkin were not known to rescue others of their kind, they were seen as cold and standoffish, not to be messed with. Chris was the only other wingkin he knew that wasn’t apart of his nest. No one would have thought an Arctic would find it in themselves to rescue such a small wingkin that could otherwise have been used as a good meal.

The idea of treating this poor omega as a meal just felt wrong to Victor. He was obviously not one of their own, but with his deathly pale skin and shivering figure, he was obviously too weak to defend himself properly, and it just felt wrong to Victor to utilize what the omega could not control.

Finally, the party reached the base of the gigantic oak tree that held their nest. Theo and Ivan nodded towards him, flying up, carrying their catch. The last party member, a silent older female nodded and shook her dark grey wings, tipped with white, before following. Victor sighed and looked back at the forest, the sun sinking behind the mountain that reared up in the distance. Holding the omega close and making sure he was secure, Victor spread his enormous wings and pushed up in the foliage to where his nest awaited.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been putting off studying for my test I have tomorrow for this chapter... hope you like it! Sorry if there is any weird sentences or grammar, I don't have a beta or anything.

Their nest was placed halfway up the tree, using the old oak’s wide trunk as a base, as well as utilizing the other surrounding oak trees’ branches to help hold it up. The Nest didn’t look like much when looking up at it from the ground, but when you flew above, during the spring, when the trees have yet to grow out their leaves, you could see that greatness that was his clan’s nest. A large wooden base spread out among two dozen trees, holding various tents made from animal skins. Three of the structures housed the food, wounded, and young that the clan would take turns caring for, in order to form a stronger bond. Scattered among the surrounding oaks were hollows that held individual families. Victor’s family, being the leaders and protectors of the clan, were housed in the old oak, in order to keep an eye on everyone. 

When Victor landed on the wooden planks, the omega in his arms made a soft noise. Scared that he had jostled the poor thing too much, Victor took extra care in making sure not to move him as he headed towards the tent that housed the injured. Inside was cozy, the thick furs that made up the walls sheltering them from the cold breezes that often swept through the Nest. Various beds made of furs scattered the tent, separated by a thin sheet, for privacy reasons. Soft coughs and moans filled the air as wingkin got treated. Winter was an especially busy time for the infirmary as the cold and ice often brought with it overexertion and famine. His clan was lucky to have gotten food from a neighboring clan in exchange for a bear pelt.

He was proud that his father was among the hunting party to have obtained the pelt. It was very dangerous hunting bear, but it rewarded them greatly. A bear’s pelt was often considered some of the most expensive fur that one could get their hands on, and since they were able to actually hunt down a bear this year, they were able to trade it for a hefty sum of fish, which the clan had eaten saved up for the second half of the wintery season. The first half of the season was always much easier than the second, usually many animals were still hunting around for food before they went into hibernation when the season first starts, but as the icy season continued, food was becoming scarce. Victor worried that they would have to use up the supply of fish early, leaving them for nothing when the icy season was at its worst.

Shaking the worry from his mind, he forced himself on the task at hand. The shallow breaths and heat that was radiating from the omega was not good, he needed help as soon as readily possible. Carrying the poor thing over to a vacant bed, the gently laid him down, careful to move his wings out of the way. After he was sure the omega was comfortable enough, he rushed to find their healer. Thankfully, she was in the next room over, caring for a few of his clan mates that seemed to have a caught the sniffles.

He waited not-so-patiently, rocking back and forth. Finally, annoyed by his hovering, the healer, a spunky women named Minako, hastily stood up and stomped over to him. 

“Prince Victor… what is it?” She looked him up and down. “Nothing seems wrong with you, so there must be some other reason for you practically stepping on my wing.”

Victor cleared his throat and blushed, Minako could be hard to deal with during this stressful time. “On my journey home, I found a wingkin that needs help, thought I could bring him to you.”

Minako raised an eyebrow. “You expect me to care for someone I don’t even know, a stranger to the clan, while I’m full to the brim with sprained wings and sore throats?”

Looking to the side, Victor explained. “He’s on the verge of death. I found him buried in the snow, wings severely broken. It seemed as though he was flying before he crashed through the trees and ended up where I found him.”

“ He must be a crazy idiot to fly in this weather. “Minako looked down. “Or very desperate…”

“There’s something else you should know…” Victor leaned in and whispered: “He’s an omega.”

Minako glared at him, her bark-brown wings flaring up in surprise. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in contemplation before looking up and nodding to him. Victor smiled and lead her to the front room where the omega was still laying in one of the beds. Minako blinked when she say how bad of shape he actually was in. Walking over, she began to check his vitals, making sure it was even worth trying to save him. 

“You got him to me just in time Victor, I don’t think he would have survived any second longer out there.” She shook her head, gently putting a hand to the omegas crooked wings. “Go tell your parents about him before I do anything extreme, I don’t want to waste my dwindling supplies on someone that may end up having to be abandoned.”

Victor shuttered at the idea of leaving this omega for the wolves to eat. Nodding, he quickly raced out into the cold and flew up to his hallow. The entrance had been covered with a warm wolf pelt to keep out the cold winds. Gently pushing it to the side, he dropped in. His hollow was pretty large for a wingkin, multiple floors went up and down from where he was standing, each holding a different purpose. The floors below him that sunk deeper into the tree held the bedrooms, the thick bark providing warmth and protection. Further up in the tree, as it the trunk of the tree began to grow more narrow, was a perch that his father often sat on in order to look over the camp. He flew down to where the living area had been arranged, a bit above the sleeping quarters, where he heard the voices of his parents in mid conversation.

They quickly cut off the conversation at the flap of Victor’s wings as he landed behind them. His mother, Lilia, gave him a glare colder than the air outside. “Vitya, how many times have I told you to announce your presence before dropping from the entrance.”

Victor looked to the side, as if trying to figure out exactly how many times she had actually told them. A annoyed grunt from his mother told him his teasing had brought the desired result. He chuckled as his mother whacked him upside the head with her silver wing. 

“Honestly child,” A gruff voice said beside them, “You’re mother is going to launch you off the side.”

Victor smiled at his father, Yakov, and nudged him playfully with a wing. The old man didn’t return the grin, but Victor knew he wasn’t mad. His father was just not one for smiling. 

“It’s nice to see you back safe Vitya, did you catch anything.” Yakov asked. 

Victor shook his head. “Not unless you would count a few rabbits that will barely feed ten of us. It seems as though all the deer and moose have left the area.”

Yakov and looked down in contemplation. “We’ll have to send out more hunting parties tomorrow. We’ll rotate the patrols so that we aren’t sending out wingkin that are exhausted.”

Victor cleared his throat, gaining his father and mothers’ attention. “I did find something, or should I say someone, interesting.”

Yakov turned to him, “and who might that be?”

Clearing his throat, Victor went on. “We were approaching the nest when I smelt something strange. I decided to investigate and found a trail or feathers and blood that lead me to an omega.”

His mother and father looked at him and then at each other. “Are you sure it was an omega?” His mother asked.

Victor nodded and continued. “He was still alive and so I brought him to Minako to take care of. I was wondering if he could stay here, get better so we can find out where he came from.”

His father looked at him, annoyance in his eyes. “You brought this stranger to the Nest? Are you crazy Vitya, we can’t be bringing back random wingkin that are on death’s door when we already have so much of our own that are sick and getting worse. Not to mention that it’s just another mouth we have to feed when food is so scarce, you should have just let him freeze in the snow, we can’t do anything about him.”

Victor felt his heart fall, but decided to trudge on. “Come on father, aren’t you curious as to how he ended up there, and an omega. No clan would let an omega just wonder off. And why was he flying, everyone knows that you can’t survive a flight in the winter, not even us and we were built for this weather.”

Yakov sighed. “Vitya, as much as it does indeed peak my interest, I have to look after the clan, and bringing in a stranger we don’t know anything about, regardless if they are an omega or not, it isn’t safe. Especially since it just adds to our food problem. This is one of the worst winters that even I, in all my life, have experienced, we can’t afford it right now.”

“Then I’ll hunt for him!” Victor tried but was just rewarded with a shake of the head.

“Any food you get has to be given to the clan, we can’t afford to take in this outsider. Sorry, Vitya, take him back to where you found him.”

Victor puffed out his wings in agitation. He wasn’t going to just take the omega back where he found him, if he did that, he would surely die. He looked down and gulped. Something wet dropped on his hand. Staring at it in confusion, he realized that he was crying. He looked up and saw his parents staring at him in shock. For some reason, the thought of losing this omega was heartbreaking to him. He couldn’t bare leaving the broken figure he had rescued out there, only to freeze to death or get eaten by wolves.

“Vitya?” His mother came up to him. “Are you alright, dear?”

Victor shook his head slightly and sighed, quickly rubbing his arm across his face. “I’m fine, I’ll go tell Minako.”

He shakily lifted himself and fluttered to the entrance. He could hear his parents talking below him and decided to leave them to it. He had to get this over with. He went to the entrance and drew the tarp back before gliding down to where the infirmary was located. Stepping inside, he saw that the omega had been moved to a more secure place, where Mianko was tending to his wounds. She glanced over to where Victor stood.

“He won’t make it out there, I hope you brought good news.” She stated, making Victor’s heart plummet. 

He looked down and shook his head. “My father is more worried about the sake of the clan than an outsider… I understand his thinking, but the thought of throwing out someone so helpless doesn’t sit right with me.”

Minako nodded in agreement. “I understand, but we must follow orders.”

She went to remove the omega, picking him up and Victor immediately felt sick, the wingkins wings were still so crooked. A flash of a vision went through Victor, of tossing the defenseless omega off the nest, to the ground below, so much like tossing out a helpless chick, much like the dark king had. He gulped and looked away as Minako shrugged the man up, a moan falling from his lips. Victor watched as the nurse lead the boy away, into the back room. Confused, Victor followed and his heart pounded when he saw what Minako did, she sat the boy down in a bed, more warm and comfortable than the one outside. Victor walked up to her confused.

“What are you doing?” He asked as Minako began collecting supplies from around the room to dress his wounds and help mend his wings.

The old bird glanced up at him, ruffling her brown feathers. “I’m taking on this omega as my apprentice.”

She began to work on tearing off bandages and wrapping the omega up. Victor could only look at her in confusion. “What?”

She shot him and look before continuing. “If I take on this omega as my apprentice, he’ll be automatically considered to be apart of the clan, and your father’s orders still stand. He can’t fight with me on this, I’ve made up my mind. Now go tell your father what I’ve decided, and hurry, I’ll need someone to help me hold him as I bind his wings, it won’t be pretty.”

Victor felt his heart swell with excitement as he quickly nodded and excused himself. He shot through the front room and outside, where surprisingly he found his father standing. Yakov’s face was red from the cold maybe something else Victor couldn’t quite make out.

“Father, I have news.”

“So do I, Vitya.” His father answered, giving him a strange look.

Victor blinked and gave his father a confused look. “What is it?”

“I’ve decided to allow the omega into the camp… you’re mother was very persuasive.” He grumbled and looked down.

Victor’s grin grew even wider before he burst out laughing, startling poor Yakov. “Minako said that she was going to make the omega her apprentice, so it didn’t matter anyway.”

The look on Yakov’s face was priceless. Victor was sure that the red that dotted the old man’s cheeks weren’t due to the cold alone, but maybe a bit of rage on there as well. It didn’t last long, however as the older alpha just shook his head and turned around. 

“What am I going to do with you?” He spread his dark grew wings before launching up, back to their hollow.

Victor smiled and went back inside, excited to give Minako the good news: the omega was allowed to stay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's POV!  
> If anything is wrong with the grammar, I'm sorry, I'm too lazy to edit. SO if like... anyone wants to be a beta for me, I would be really appreciated, you can reach me by my tumblr:
> 
> theloyalamberwolf

It was dark as Yuuri flew through the night. The wind seemed to claw at his legs and wings, dragging him back as the ice storm wrapped chains around his wings, making it hard for him to flap them. He huffed, looking back in the abyss of night. Yuuri was sure he say his master on his tail tips, laughing as he stretched out a cold claw. A cry left Yuuri’s lips as he flapped his wings harder, willing himself onward through the night. Tear trailed down his cheeks, freezing almost immediately till a sharp pain seared Yuuri’s face. The same all over his body as the sweat from the exertion he was being put through froze as well. It really was like ice chains, wrapping themselves around his body, making it impossible to fly.

The world pitched as Yuuri’s exhaustion caught up with him. He cried out as he began to careen through the air, slamming into the wave of tree beneath him. He barreled through the branches and he swore hands grasped at him, slowing his fall. It didn’t help much, however, as he slammed to the ground his wings taking the full impact. The crunch was sickening and Yuuri almost passed out from the pain. He couldn’t feel anything after that. He found himself lying in the soft snow, staring up at the raging storm he had been trying to escape from. Was his master still searching for him up there? Unable to reach him through the trees that spread their branches out like a blanket, concealing the peaceful woods from the war that was happening above.

Yuuri could hear every snowflake touch the ground, the gentleness of it all was a stark contrast to the blistering ice that had dragged him down to the ground. He tried to get up, but he could not move his body. He did not know how long he had been running to escape from his master, but it was long enough that after lying on the ground for a handful of minutes, his body did not allow him to get up. He could not feel his wings as he laid on them, and that is probably what scared Yuuri the most. After taking such a hard hit, would he ever be able to fly again?

The soft breeze tickled Yuuri’s cheeks and he smiled. He felt safe in the confines of the forest, no longer out in the open for anyone to see. He closed his eyes, oblivious of the dangers that lurked around him. It was not safe for a wingkin to be on the ground without backup. They were flyers, not walkers. A single wingkin was considered a snack for any creature in the vicinity that was looking for something to eat. It was why no one ever explored the ground during the winter.

But Yuuri didn’t care. At that moment, the blissful peace of not having to flee wrapped around him and he fell deeply into a well deserved, much needed, sleep. 

 

~~~

The dark seemed to engulf Yuuri, with various bits of light surfacing every now and then. A voice sounded from the darkness, but he couldn’t figure out what it was trying to say. He strained to hear, to no avail. There was a moment in which he felt weightless as though he was being carried by a cloud. Yuuri tried to speak but it only came out as a moan as he tried to adjust in whatever was carrying him. He decided to just give up and let it take him to wherever. Maybe it was time for his death. But as Yuuri waited, he drifted off into the darkness once more. 

He woke up once more to voices all around. He was surrounded by softness and warmth. Sighing, he buried further into the comfort, he didn’t want leave whatever this place was ever again. But as the voices grew louder, Yuuri strained to try and hear them. In the distance, someone was crying, there were moans and groans filtering through the dark, and Yuuri wondered if he was in some sort of infirmary. The voices grew closer, and he could finally hear some lines of conversation:

“...orders.”

He felt himself being lifted up and a spark of pain rocketed through his back, causing him to moan. Soft bumps made Yuuri realize that he was being moved. The cries and moans became louder as he was placed in an even more comfortable place. He couldn’t believe it. More noises began to surface, ruffling and stuff seeming to fall on the space beside him. He listened but was surprised when he felt something touching him. It was rough and long… like a bandage. It wrapped around his chest as someone lifted him up. A cool substance was placed on the left side of his chest, causing him to shiver slightly. He didn’t like the cold after being engulfed in such warmth. Finally it was over though and he was placed back into the comfort of the bed. 

He began to hear the voices again:

“...apprentice…” 

Who’s the apprentice? Yuuri wondered.

“...won’t be pretty…”

What won’t be pretty?

Stomping occurred as someone seemed to ran away. The person, he thinks its a women, began to set other things beside him, he wondered what she was doing. 

“Alright, little one, get ready, cause this won’t be pretty?” she said.

Is she talking to me? Yuuri was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

The shuffling began to continue for a few more minutes. Whoever had run off seemed to come back, the familiar shuffling of their sheet approaching. 

“Are you ready. Victor?” The women asked. “I need you to hold him down as I set his wings.”

The person, Victor, didn’t say anything, but the sudden pressure on his back made Yuuri realize that he must have nodded. 

What are they doing? He gulped as he felt a pair of hands grip the base of his left wing. A dull pain began to spread down his body.

“Ready...1...2...3. Go!” The women ordered. 

The pressure on his body grew as the dull pain blasted to life in a searing heat. Yuuri screamed, his eyes flying open as he could feel the bones in his wings shift in a sickening crack. The pain drifted back, less sharp, but still there. The voice sounded again, but Yuuri couldn’t hear what they said. Another pain shot through his back. Yuuri moaned, shifting his head to the side. He caught sight of an alpha with beautiful silver wings. 

He’s gorgeous. Yuuri thought, slowly blinking.

The pain continued, eventually moving over to his right side. Another searing pain shot through him, causing his entire body to go numb, which Yuuri was grateful for. He realized that the people were rebreaking his wings, helping them to mend. He saw the man grabe a sort of bandage, soon followed by a pressure in his wings. 

They must be wrapping them. He sighed as the pain eventually retreated, only leaving a dull throb. 

“Good job, everyone!” The women praised, patting Yuuri’s back, causing more pain to light up his back.

He turned his head, glaring at her. 

“Well, look at this!” The women leaned over and stared at him, brown eyes vs brown. “Looks like sleeping beauty has woken up. How did you like that wake up call?”

Yuuri let out a low growl at the lady, who just laughed it off, patting his head this time.

“We’ll leave you to rest, better make sure you get some energy in you, boy!” The women sent him an evil smile, much to Yuuri’s dread. “You’ve got a lot to learn,”

~~~

The days that past were anything but pleasant. On top of the constant lectures from Minako, his wings were beginning to heal and it hurt a ton. Almost the entire day, from sunrise to sunset, Yuuri’s wings were on fire. Minako always made sure that they were ok, and it seemed as though they were making progress in healing. But, Yuuri was given strict instruction not to move them much for fear of hurting them more. Which, while it made sense, the rule was very hard to follow when Yuuri was constantly caring for sick wingkin. He had been shadowing Minako ever since he could stand without immediately collapsing, watching what she did, her technique, and doing his absolute best to try and memorize every herb that she used. It gave him a serious headache after a few hours, with all the sights and smells and just the pure amount of knowledge that he had to learn. 

However, he was surprisingly finding it very interesting. Minako told him that the chief had first said that he was not wanted, which was what Yuuri had been expecting in the first place, but Minako’s offer was too good to pass up. Which was why Yuuri was trying his hardest, he still feel as though if he didn’t, he could be kicked out. It worried him constantly, even as Minako kept telling him it was alright.

Even so, Yuuri did the best he could while he trained, wanting to show the chief that he was worth the food. He and Minako were treating someone when a shout sounded outside. They look up in unison as a few men came rushing in, carrying a fourth, their feathers ruffled as they called Minako over. Yuuri didn’t pay much mind until he felt something go through him. He shuttered, wincing a bit as a pang of swept up his bandaged wings. He ignored it and followed Minako. What he saw made his blood ran cold. He gasped and quickly stepped away, his blood beginning to pound in his ears, a panic attack just minutes away. 

He could hear voices all around him as he fell to his knees, holding his hands to his ears. A hand on his shoulder pulled him back. 

“Yuuri are you ok? What happened?” Minako’s familiar voice gave him some comfort.

Yuuri shook his head and gulped. “I’m fine, I’m sorry.”

Minako looked at him, obviously not buying it, but thankfully she left it alone. Reaching out a hand, Yuuri was helped up, wincing a bit as it pulled at his wings. Huffing, he took in a deep breath and walked to where the person was lying. The wingken who had brought him in were looking at him, but he ignored them. Walking up, he glanced down, his heart racing and heart pounding. 

The man bellow him had a long slash going across his chest, his blood was black, but that wasn’t the most surprising part about it. Black crystals ran up the length of the cut, shining in the light. They seemed to suck the light out of their surroundings, glistening ominously. Minako came up beside him and looked at the crystals. She reached out a hand before Yuuri quickly stopped her.

“Don’t, if you touch it, it’ll spread,”

Minako looked at him, her brow furrowed, “What do you mean, have you seen this before.”  
Yuuri didn’t say anything for a minute. What will they say if they found out?

He shook his head and glanced up at her. He took in a deep breath, hoping the others wouldn’t look too deep into what he was about to tell him. 

Putting everything on the table, he said simply. “It’s the Dark King’s mark.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to write, and I apologize. I always feel so dishearted, reading other fics and seeing how well the author writes and how much detail they can pact within a single chapter. I always have a hard time when it comes to making my chapters longer, but I'm trying. This chapter was actually larger than my others, so that's a step.
> 
> And I can't beleieve all the amazing feedback I've gotten, you guys are seriously the best, I can't thank you enough <3.
> 
> Now, enjoy~

The room felt as though a giant boulder had been placed over it, ready to fall in any moment. T  
Eventually, Victor blinked, his eyes reverting back to the dull color they had been earlier. “Alright, thank you… and I’ll go with Minako. If what you said is true, than I need to talk to my father and the other tribes about rallying to face this threat. Be sure to help them when I’m gone, you seem to know a lot about this king, so I assume you will be able to help?”

Yuuri nodded which caused Victor to smile at him. A small shiver went down Yuuri’s spine looking at the gorgeous alpha. A small part of him, the part he tried his best to keep down was screaming at him to make Victor his. He quickly shut it up though as he smiled back at Victor. 

“If what you told me is true, Yuuri, we have a lot of work to be done.”he amount of tension was palpable, enough a knife could cut through it. Yuuri heard the blood roaring in his ears as he wished the tension in the room would break soon. The amount of pressure he felt from those three gazes was enough to collapse his lungs. Everything was silent except the breaths and moans of other patients. Finally, Yuuri decided to glance over at Minako. His mentor was staring at him, intently. The air seemed to crackled around her like an upcoming storm was approaching. 

Yuuri opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. He vaguely heard Minako tell the guards to excuse them for a second before dragging them away, into the back room which functioned as a living area for both of them. She Minako sat down in one of the carved seats and motioned for Yuuri to sit on the other, gazing at him with a flaring gaze as he sat down. The entire time, Yuuri’s anxiety peeked, afraid that Minako had realized his true identity and was about to torture information out of him. He tried to calm himself down with the notion that she probably would have brought him to a much more secretive place besides just the back room behind where all the patients where, if she was really going to torture him, but it didn’t really matter to him. She could have confronted him in front of everyone, and Yuuri was glad she hadn’t. He knew that if he had been under all that pressure, he probably would have cracked, and with the fragility of his reputation at the clan being so weak, he knew that probably would have gotten him either thrown out of the clan, or at least captured for the fear that he was actually a total nut case.

Yuuri looked at Minako, trying to judge what she knew, or at least what she was trying to hint at. Her eye’s betrayed nothing, and it felt as though she was digging into his mind, trying to unearth any secrets, but Yuuri not about to let her. It was not the best moment for him to spill his tragic past with Minako, but he was hopeful that he and her could become close enough, that he and the clan, could become close enough, that he would be able to tell them the reason he knew about this terrifying disease that no one knew of and that seemed to come out of nowhere. He breathed in, preparing himself to explain this to Minako, and while he knew he couldn’t outright tell her the truth, he knew he had to tell her at least what was happening to the men of the clan, they had taken him in afterall, he owed them.

“I know what you are thinking, wondering how I know something about this disease that seemed to come out of nowhere.” A small huff of agreement confirmed his suspicions. 

Think quick, Yuuri. “Well you see… I heard it from a traveling wingkin.”

Yuuri looked up at Minako, who had her eyebrow raised as though questioning his made-up tale. “Were they some sort of merchant? I don’t recall hearing about anyone stupid enough to venture out into the winter wilderness. You know what happened to you, they would be forced to walk, and you can’t cover much ground that way because of how far apart each clan’s nest is. Was it some sort of grounded kin?”  
Yuuri nodded, jumping at the chance to weave a convincing tale. “It was a hoofedkin, I believe. They had large antlers and had cloven hooves. I met them before I came here, when I was journeying. They told me to watch out for the dark beasts that roam the forest’s shadows, told me that if I were to get injured, crystals would grow out of the injury and all but zap the life out of me within a matter of days. I can’t recall him saying much else about them, but he did mention a cure.”

Minako gestured for him to continue. “What did it look like? Where is it located?”

Yuuri continued, telling her what he knew to be true. “It’s located surrounding the Great Lake, beneath the northern Mt. Baloo. They say it can only be picked during the day time, says it closes its petals at night to keep from harm.”

Yuuri looked around and seized some parchment and a quill. He began to sketch out the flower, doing his best to remember exactly what it looked like. Most likely, Minako had never seen it before, but Yuuri sure has. His master would send him and others to fetch as many as they could, or at least he tried to. When they flew too close to the lake, a force stopped them in their tracks and sent them tumbling to the ground, as if hitting an invisible wall. When they confronted their master about it, he yelled so loud, the ceiling shook, cursing out the light magic that the lake must have contained. He has been conducting research on the magic every since, trying to find what could be the cause. What Yuuri found was that it was most likely the very flower that he was sending Minako to collect. Because of his, he reasoned that the flowers magic would be able to combat the infection that the dark beasts spread. 

He looked up at his mentor when he was done, handing her the drawing. “It’s not very good, but not many herbs grow so late into the winter, I’m sure you will be able to find it pretty easily based on this.”

She took it and studied it for a minute before nodding. She glanced outside to where the setting sun was casting a long shadow into the room. Minako sighed and looked back at Yuuri before standing up. “Come, help me get ready for the journey.”

Yuuri’s heart seemed to stop dead at that. “Wait, you’re going? I was thinking you would send someone else? We need you here Minako, I need you here. I can’t take care of everyone, I don’t know enough!”

Minako gave him a sad smile. “Yuuri, I need to go. I have been studying herbs my entire life, I know how to carry them to stop them from freezing in the cold, I know how to correctly pick them so that they don’t tear, and I know how to make sure to get enough that we don’t waste it. Trust me Yuuri, if I could risk sending someone else, I would, but I have to be the one to do this.”

She walked over and placed a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “I trust you to be in charge here because I know you are capable of it. You have only been my student for a few days, and I really wish I had more time to properly teach you, but time is something we don’t have. I’m sure you know how dangerous that infection is. “ Yuuri nodded. “ There are not many people here, and many of them do not have a serious injury. There is a sprain which you know all about helping with.” She indicated to Yuuri’s wings, still wrapped up in bandages, healing. “As well as a few nicks and cuts, and you know how to treat those. Not to mention you are not alone in this. In this room, I have every note on every disease I have come across along with how to prepare the various herbs, as well as a book on every herb we have in storage, you will be fine.”

Now, come and help me with the herbs I require for traveling. The mountains are a long ways away, and I need all the help I can get.”

Minako walked off, and Yuuri couldn’t help but think how amazing that women was. Yuuri hoped to be like her one day. He caught up with her and held on to her hand. She looked down, ready to reassure Yuuri even more. 

Yuuri cleared his throat. “I’ll do my best to make sure everyone here is treated to the best of my ability. But please, Minako, take someone with you on this journey. There is no doubt in my mind that it is going to be dangerous.”

Mianko gave Yuuri a large grin before pulling him into a sloppy, one-armed hug. “If it’ll make you calm your feathers,, then sure, I’ll take someone with me.”

Yuuri gave Minako a grateful smile and followed her to help pack the herbs. She showed him the different ways to prepare them, and how to make sure they didn’t rot on the long journey. Yuuri informed Minako as they were walking how long it would take to reach the lake. She would have to continue North until she got there, collect the flower, and then return home. In all, it would take about 2 weeks for her to return, that is if Minako doesn’t run into any trouble, and through those 2 weeks, Yuuri would be in charge of everyone. He worried he wouldn’t be able to perform like well enough, but he was sure it’ll be ok, is Minako trusted in him, he needed to trust in himself.

After they had finished gathering all the herbs, Minako called it a night, leaving Yuuri to his thoughts. He settled in his nest of furs, listening to the soft breath of the patients and Minako. He looked over to her, sleeping soundly in her nest. Sighing, he slid out of the nest and walked out. It was cold outside, but not in a bad way. It felt like it had been forever since he walked some, and taking a relaxing stroll around the nest to calm his nerves sounded nice. He could hear the wind above the trees, but it surprisingly didn’t bother him. He would be lying if he said it didn’t send shivers down his back at the thought of the cold, icy wind, but he felt safe in the Nest. 

As he was walking, Yuuri felt a presence. He looked around the still camp and caught sight of a shadow that was practically invisible if one wasn’t intentionally looking. As quietly as he could, Yuuri crept towards the unknown wingkin, wondering what they were doing out here so late. As he got closer, the strangers hair glinted in the soft glow of the torchlight that lined the trees. The storm above announced it presence frequently with caterwauls of piercing cries, as though it were begging to lay waste to the peaceful ground below. As Yuuri found himself right behind what he could now make out as a man, the soft glow almost lit the man’s beautiful silver locks on fire. He gasped softly, quickly covering his mouth, but it was too late. The wingkin turned and locked onto Yuuri with those glistening blue eyes that made Yuuri freeze instantly. They were not like the kind and warm blue that Yuuri had looked up at as he was being treated by Minako, these were a ice-cold blue that sheared away at your bones, clawing to try and look into your innermost reaches, ones you did not want to show to anyone. Yuuri felt his breath catch at the intensity in them, it was surreal.

But as mysterious as it had been, it slowly disappeared. 

“Hello, Yuuri.” Victor’s voice was almost emotionless, his beautiful eyes still held a bit of loneliness that seemed to be hiding behind a wall of beauty. 

“Um, hello Victor.” Yuuri shifted his eyes around. They ended up landing on Victor’s beautiful wings. The silver matched his hair, with pale white lines leading to the tips. 

Yuuri’s eye’s slowly drifted back towards Victor’s, who was still staring at him, a soft smile on his face. Yuuri cleared his throat, a blush spreading across his face. “Um, so what are you doing out so late?”

Victor chuckled.” I was about to ask you the same thing. It’s cold out, and you should be resting your wings, so why aren’t you asleep?”

Yuuri laughed nervously. “Minako’s been running me around, tells me a bit of exercise will be good for me. I am tired, but I have a lot to think about that I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep even if I tried.”

“What are you thinking about?” Victor asked, looking worried.

“Oh, um, well I’m sure you heard about the attacks…” Yuuri trailed off and looked to Victor, watching his eyes grow a dark tint. 

“Yes, I certainly have.” He looked at Yuuri suspiciously. “Why? Do you have anything to do with them?”

Yuuri blinked, his mind going a mile a minute before he scolded himself, telling himself to relax and stick to the story he made up. “Well, no, but before I came here, I used to travel around a lot and I ended up meeting a merchant who had heard of them… and knows how to treat the terrible wounds those monsters make.”

Victor looked at him, still obviously suspicious of him. It made sense, even if he was the one who had saved him, he had no right to trust a mysterious stranger that had come and integrated himself into his Nest. Yuuri knew that arctic wingkin were specifically very protective of their homes and mates, they didn’t quite trust random wingkin they find knocked out in the snow. But for the save of the clan that had taken him in, Yuuri continued, even under the large alpha’s stare. 

“You see, north of here at the base of Mt. Baloo, near the Great Lake, there are these special flowers that hold magic within them. If you pick them, the magic is lost, however, I think you may be able to grow them closer to the nest. The dark beasts can’t come near them, it repels them with any magic they hold.” Yuuri did his best to explain as his inner omega was shrinking under Victor’s powerful gaze. 

It would also repel me… The thought surfaced in the back of Yuuri’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it and continued. 

“But I was thinking, that if this flower’s magic can repel the dark beasts, there’s a good chance that it can be used to make a nectar to heal the wounds from the beasts. And I’m sure Minako, with her amazing herb knowledge, can find a way to create this nectar.”

Victor looked at him, his expression unreadable. He looked north, to where the mountains were and then turned his head towards the infirmary, where some of his men were fighting the wounds that those beasts had left. SIghing, he looked at Yuuri, eye’s still cold, and dark. “I don’t really have any reason as to why I should believe you, but I guess I have no choice. But remember, I might have rescued you but that doesn’t mean I trust you, that’s something that you’ll have to earn on your own.”

Yuuri nodded, eyes wide, before continuing “I do have a question though, if you are willing to hear me out?” Victor gestured for him to continue. “The journey to the lake is incredibly dangerous, and I know for certain that these shadow beasts will be guarding the lake, in fear of someone using the flowers against them… would you be willing to go with Minako in order to find them, as a bodyguard of sorts?”

Victor gave him a pointed look. “That’s a lot to ask an heir. You’ll have to give me some explanations before I agree to anything.” Yuuri blinked as Victor continued. “Where did all of this come from, you suddenly come here and then all of a sudden, these...dark beasts or whatever, attack my people. What’s up with that?”

Yuuri swallowed and decided to give Victor the benefit of the doubt. “The dark beasts are after me... “ Yuuri could almost hear the question in Victor’s mind. “But I’m not sure why…”

I can’t tell him the truth, he’ll kick me out. “All I know is that the Dark King may have something to do with it.”  
The sharp intake of breath from Victor told Yuuri everything he needed to know, that Victor knew who his master was, most likely due to fairy tales from his childhood… fairy tales that were based off facts. He looked up and saw Victor looking off into the distance of the night. Most likely thinking about the sudden fairy tale becoming a reality. 

“I know it’s a lot, trust me I’m well versed in the fairy tales that are told about him, but I promise you that I will do my best to keep the clan away from his interest.” Yuuri stared into Victor’s blue eyes, not braking contact with the cold blue.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Minako set out on their journey

The next morning was hectic as Victor and Minako readied to go on their journey. After much debate and arguing with Yakov and Lilia, they finally got the ok to actually get up and go, even if all of the entirety of the travelling herbs had been already set aside. Needless to say, Minako was fairly confident in her ability to persuade the chieftain and his mate to let their son go on this perilous journey, and Yuuri had no doubts in her abilities, not after this morning. 

He vaguely recalled being woken by the sound of the chieftains yells, and after what Victor informed him, it had been… smooth. In any case, Yuuri was just glad that they were able to go. The sickness was spreading through the young soldier, and the clan couldn’t afford it taking over his body completely. Yuuri knew this type of mark, it was not doubt the dark lords. A mark that was meant to take over control of the body of whoever obtained it. The king was trying to make an army from within their own numbers, but Yuuri wouldn’t let it happen. While it was not set in stone that this flower’s magic would be enough to get rid of the sickness, or to even help it for that matter, it was the only thing that Yuuri could think of that would even stand a chance against the dark king’s magic. They had to try, it was the best they could do.

As he paced around, making sure that Victor and MInako had all of the herbs that were needed, a small itch in the back of his mind kept distracting him. He knew that the flower that Minako and Victor would bring back would make it impossible for him to stay here, but he was willing to give up the sactanty of this wondrous place if it meant the safety of the wingkin who called this place home. Even if the sickness could not be stopped, the flower’s magic would be able to drive away any of the shadow creatures that were attacking the poor soldiers, as well as Yuuri. 

He hated the fact that he would be driven from this life, but he would deal. Yuuri was sure that somewhere around the woods was another clan that was nice enough to take him in, or at least he hoped so. If not, he wasn’t sure whether or not he would be able to survive with the dark creatures undoubtedly following him. But he would cross that road if it came to pass. At this moment, however, it was crucial that he make sure everything was set up so that Victor and Minako would succeed in their mission. 

Smiling, Yuuri stood up and examined his handy work. He was able to wound the herbs in a soft blanket that he had found, to make for easy storage as well as keep the herbs safe from the bitter cold. He made sure that there were more than enough herbs in each pouch, much more than the needed two weeks. Minako would be able to distribute in order to make sure they didn’t take too much, but Yuuri wanted to make sure that they would have plenty extra, incase something held them for longer. He wasn’t sure what might happen, but it was better safe than sorry. 

He knew that the dark creatures would attack Victor and Minako as the travelled to and from the lake, that was a given. The flowers magic didn’t work if it wasn’t connected with the earth, so it would be powerless against the dark magic from his lord. While they may be safe within the lake, those setbacks may be large, so Yuuri wanted to be better safe than sorry. Nodding, he picked up the satchels and walked outside. The clan was bustling with people getting ready for the absence of their prince, as well as their healer.

Yuuri really didn’t blame them, but many of his clansmen did not trust him when it came to handling their medicine. Not many trusted him anyway. The way they saw it was their prince and medic were being lead on a wild goose chase while this stranger who had appeared, suddenly, a week ago, marches up and is trusted with their lives. It made sense as to why they didn’t trust him, Yuuri knew if he was in their situation that he would be as much, if not more, skeptical. However, Yuuri was determined to prove himself to his clansmen, he had to get them to trust him.

Looking around, Yuuri caught sight of Minako and Victor being surrounded by wingkin who were shoving various tools into their face. Many of the tools weren’t even needed on the journey, but were being thrust at them nonetheless. Shoving his way through the sea of feathers and bodies, Yuuri was finally able to make it up to the front, breathing heavily. Minako and Victor were distracted as they talked to the blacksmith. He was a large man with a beard and scar-ridden face. His wings were large and a dark auburn color. 

“My prince, I have been forging these twin swords for you since you were born. They were supposed to be given to you as a gift for succeeding your father, but I believe now is an even better time.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a sheath that help two swords. 

Victor took them from the man and looked at the sheath closely. It was obviously made out of the finest of the leather that money could buy, with a beautiful swirling pattern that traced along the spine. Motioning for everyone to stand back, the beautiful alpha pulled one of the swords out. It was a well-crafted blade. It was clear to be well-made, as well as made with love. Victor held it out and lazily twirled the sword, testing how it felt in his grasp. Grinning an alluring heart-shaped smile, he turned to the blacksmith. 

“These are incredible, you have my utmost thanks.” He bowed to the man, who looked completely flustered.

“It is an honor, your grace.” The man saluted and moved, revealing Yuuri. 

Victor gave Yuuri a discerning look and slowly walked toward him. “Come to wish me luck?”

Yuuri nodded, cheeks a bit flushed, whether from the cold or embarrassment, Victor couldn’t tell. “Uh, yes! It’s a dangerous journey, I just want you two to be safe… also, I brought some herbs for you.”

He held out the two pouches he had been holding, and Victor took them slowly. He looked down at them, and back up at Yuuri, gifting the man a small smile. “Well, thank you, but I’m pretty sure Minako already got us some, so I don’t think we’ll need these.”  
Yuuri squirmed and avoided looking into Victor’s eyes, gulping. “There should be some herbs I collected that Minako might not have thought about. Like, theres Passionflower to help calm you down if you’re restless when you are trying to sleep… and Eleuthero root to help with any stress you may occur!”

Victor sighed and rolled his eyes, “I’m sure Minako is more capable than you are about what herbs we’ll need on this trip, thanks for the offer, but I would much rather these herbs be stocked up so we won’t run out.”

“Oh, but I went out to gather them, just for this trip-” Yuuri tried to explain, being cut off by Victor’s glare.

“Put them in storage.” He commanded, handing them back to the shaking omega. 

Yuuri looked down and slowly nodded, walking away, head down. Victor felt a bit guilty at his harsh tone, but he still didn’t trust the omega as much as he trusted Minako. He had known Minako for all his life, he knew that she was every bit as knowledgeable as some of the late-voyager elders when it came to travelling herbs. He turned and went back to accepting gifts, none of the clan mates really cared about what they had just seen. 

~~~

Yuuri walked away, his heart heavy, tears gathering in his eyes. He was awash with feelings of anger, embarrassment, and grief that the alpha had all but dismissed his gift. He had wanted so much to help them, to be of assistance on their journey. His blasted wings were the only thing keeping him from going with them. He sighed, heart still heavy as he walked back to the infirmary.

Yuuri squeaked as he walked right into someone. Looking up, he saw the warm eyes of his mentor. “Mi-minako?!”

She smiled down at him. “ Now what's got you looking so down, Yuuri. I’ve seen you anxious, but now you just look flat out depressed!”

Yuuri heaved a large sigh, looking over his shoulder to where Victor still stood, collecting gifts. “I made up some travelling pouches for you two, but Victor didn’t take them, he said that he trusted you had gotten everything already and to put them in storage…”

Minako raised an eyebrow, curious to see what her apprentice had packed. “Whatcha got in there?”

Yuuri looked back at her and blinks, quickly jumping to tell his mentor. “Oh! Well there is some Eleuthero root, in case your bodies get too stressed from the hiking… and Passionflower Vine, so you can rest easier!”

Minako shot him a large smile. “Well, I’ll be darned, I totally forgot about those travel herbs!”

Yuuri blushed and grinned, widely. “Really?”

Mianko nodded and winked. “Guess I’m not the most trustworthy, huh? Give em to me, I’ll carry them!”

Yuuri handed them over and she examined it. “Well done with the wrapping as well, oh, I’m so proud!”

She pounced on the omega, causing him to squak as he was engulfed in Minako’s giant red wings. He laughed awkwardly as she pressed him up against her bosom. Finally, she let go and smiled at him. 

“I’ll make sure to rub it in Victor’s face that you outdid me this time.” She winked at Yuuri, causing him to blush and quickly send a look over to Victor.

Nodding, he blushed a bit and looked down. “Thank you… and, uh, be safe.”

Minako hugged him again, “Of course I will, you idiot!”

Yuuri laughed a little, watching as Minako tucked the pouches in her satchel and walked over to Victor. A sudden panic went through him, knowing the perils that awaited them on the journey. No doubt, the dark king would send his minions to try and stop them. It scared Yuuri to think that this may be the last time he and Minako would be able to talk about herbs. He had really grown attached to his mentor. Shaking his head, he walked away from them, back into the infirmary. He couldn’t worry too much about them. He had to believe that they could hold their own against the bark beasts… and once they got the flower, they wouldn’t be able to be touched, at least Yuuri thought they wouldn’t be able to get touched.  
~~~

Victor adjusted the bag over his shoulder, watching MInako say goodbye to the Nightwalker. He couldn’t fathom the reason that she had willingly got so close to someone so dangerous. Minako was smart, he had no doubt in his mind that she had figured out what Yuuri was. Feathers, Victor himself was probably an idiot for allowing that pest to walk freely around the nest, and now, was leaving him to fend for their wounded. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He trusted his men, and was sure that they could handle one Nightwalker. It still worried him though. 

Victor watched Minako as she made her way towards him, turning to people who waved them off, offering them her thanks. She walked up to Victor and smiled.

“Well, your highness, are you ready to go?” She gave him an almost evil grin.

“Of course, let's get out of here as fast as we can so we can get back asap.” Victor said in a cold voice and turned, striding towards the edge of the nest.

Voice called behind him, wishing them good luck and good flight, an old sendoff for journeymen. He sighed, suddenly feeling a heavy feeling in his stomach. It wouldn’t surprise him if the Dark King were to send things to stop them from their goal, it could be the last time he set eyes on his nest and family. He shook his head, blinking hard to rid himself of these thoughts. They would come back and rid their nest of all this negativity. His eyes glanced to the back of the wave of wings. Yuuri stood there, arms crossed, appearing worried. He sneered, and turned his head, ALL the negativity. 

He reached the edge of the nest and flicked his wing, a wave of goodbye. He heard people calling after him and Minako as they jumped off the side and to the forest floor. His thick-furred boots hit the snow, and he immediately sinked a good inch. Victor sighed, this was not going to be fun, walking through all this snow. He grumbled and began to walk West, towards the giant mountain peaks that just peeked through the snow-dipped branches. Soft footsteps behind him told him that Minako was following him. He could still hear the shouts of their nest-mates as they saw him off. He turned to Minako and back, as they set out on their journey to save their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG IM SO SORRY! I fell out of this story for a while, and recently I started thinking about scenarios for the future and im rejuvenated again. However, I'm not sure how often I will update, because of school and other things that take up my time. I can only really write when I feel like it as well, so it may be a bit before the next chapter, but I will try my best, not only for you all, but to get to these other parts im excited for.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy, thank you so much for sticking around, and if you are new, hello, how are you, read any good books lately. >:3c

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, I know I don't have the best track record for writing, but I promise that I'm going to do my utmost best to finish this story, I actually have an idea and I plan on sticking with it, lets hope I do. I hope you enjoy!


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